Sol de Janeiro Newness, Joonbyrd Bodycare & Emily In Paris Style
A note from Donna š
Happy Christmas everyone š
I know we are not quite there yet, but if youāre anything like me, youāre already winding down with that feeling of āwhat day is it?ā creeping up on you.
There is also that sense of reflection in the air. Since launching The Beauty EdĀ® Substack earlier this year, 2025 has been a journey of growth. As we look toward 2026, my intention for The Beauty EdĀ® remains the same: to be your go-to space for beauty expert secrets, joyful products, and helpful, thoughtful advice that makes you feel seen.
If there is anything you would love to see more of, or if there is anything we are not doing, and you feel like we should be doing, please let us know in the comments.
We want 2026 to the year of YOU! Letās help each other achieve it!
Have a wonderful week,
Donna
x
šļø Beauty News: New Sol de Janeiro Rosa Charmosa & Cheirosa 91
By Giaā¦
Anyone who knows me knows I am a fragrance girl through and through. Friends come to me asking which scent to wear, my drawers practically scream āSol de Janeiro fan,ā and honestly, I wouldnāt have it any other way!
So when they drop something new, I notice.
This week, itās Rosa Charmosa Dewy Cream (Ā£48) and Cheirosa 91 Fragrance Mist (Ā£24), and yes, I am already obsessed...
Sol de Janeiro Rosa Charmosa Dewy Cream (Ā£36)
Lightweight, whipped, and ridiculously soft on the skin, this cream keeps you hydrated for up to 72 hours and leaves your skin looking like it just had a tropical holiday. Brazilian YacĆ³n Essence, rosewater, and crystal peptides team up to make your skin feel silky, smooth, andā¦ happy.
Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 91 Fragrance Mist (Ā£24)
And then thereās Cheirosa 91. Rio Pink Rose, passionfruit, honey caramel, and soft woods; basically, happiness you can spritz. Itās bright, radiant, and perfect for two sprays on the go (yes, two is the magic number). My favourite? Number 59. Always!
Sol de Janeiro scents are a lifestyle. Youāll find them in my bathroom, my mumās, my sisterāsā¦ and in the mini pouch I carry everywhere because letās face it, you never know when you might need a little pick-me-up. Theyāre summery, nostalgic, a little indulgent, and somehow, perfect all year round.
I canāt wait to try these new releases; they feel like the next things Iāll never leave the house without.
xo Gia
š„ GOOSEBUMPS: The Trends and Brands Weāre Loving
the people, places, things that we are loving this week
š Gia
Emily in Paris Season 5: Rome, Fashion, and Personal Growth
This weekās goosebumps came from something very familiar: Emily in Paris returning to our screens.
Iāve been watching the series since I was seventeen, back when I was still studying, and Paris felt like shorthand for adulthood, ambition, and good outfits. So starting season five didnāt feel like discovering something new, but revisiting something Iāve grown up alongside.
Season 5 opens with a shift: Emily in Rome. Visually, it works. The cinematography leans into nostalgia and luxury in a way the show has always done well. It continues to sell the fantasy of the fashion and marketing world that so many young women are drawn to, myself included.
I also loved the short hair. It feels intentional, more sophisticated, and signals a quieter change in Emily that I hope sticks. The Roman subplot is charming (especially as someone with a deep personal connection to Italy), though I do think Emily belongs back in Paris. Iām undecided, but not unconvinced!
What struck me most in the first episodes wasnāt the setting, but how shrewdly the show still balances fashion with emotional subtext. The moment involving the Fendi bag that her grandmother had passed down stood out. Not because of the brand placement (though it was impeccable), but because of how neatly it tied inheritance, memory, and identity together, and how quickly that unravelled into questions about her present relationships. It was subtle, sharp, and surprisingly grounded.
And thatās the thing about Emily in Paris. Itās often dismissed as frivolous, yet it manages to appeal across generations. I watch it. My parents watch it. My older sister watches it. Few shows manage that without diluting themselves.
The fashion remains a huge part of the appeal: polka dots, pinstripes, tailored shirts, ballet-adjacent silhouettes, Italian chic done with restraint. Even if you watched it purely for the clothes, it would still be worth your time.
Iāve only seen the first two episodes so far, but with Christmas break in full swing, I suspect a binge is inevitable... ideally with an espresso martini in hand, curtains drawn, and absolutely no intention of leaving the sofa.
-Gia xo
āØ Donna
Joonbyrd Review: Luxe, Dermatologist-Led Bodycare by Dr. Alexis Granite
Having worked in the industry for almost 3 decades, itās not often that I am genuinely excited to try a new brand. But it was different with Joonbyrd - a body care brand developed and founded by dermatologist Dr. Alexis Granite.
I was kindly sent the Moon Swim Body Wash, Sunday Sofa Body Butter and Daydreamer Body Firming Serum to try, and the first thing I noticed was how beautifully thoughtful the packaging is.
Each product arrives in a box that is taped shut with cute stickers illustrating an emoji of what to expect inside. Like the Sunday Sofa sticker showed cute slippers with hearts on them and the Moon Swim has a cute moon floating on water sticker.
The packaging inside is just as thoughtful, and very different to what Iāve seen before. The Moon Swim Body Wash bottle and Sunday Sofa Body Butter tub are wrapped in soft, supple silicone blankets - so they donāt slip out of your hands presumably. But they also help the packaging feel good to the touch - just as lovely as your skin feels after using them.
The textures of each product continue the comfy, feel good aesthetic - especially the Sunday Sofa Body Butter. I mean the name says it all really.
And the fragrances are unique and sophisticated. The Moon Swim Body Wash blends notes of vanilla and maple syrup which sound sickly but trust me, your skin is enveloped in a unique and sophisticated scent after washing with it. The whole ritual from start to finish is just gorgeous!
The product formulas are science-led too. āScience with Soulā is how the website describes them.
Formulas are enriched with skincare-first ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide as well as mood-boosting adaptogens like ashwagandha to address skincare concerns like dryness, strawberry bumps, crepiness, pigmentation, blemishes and loss of elasticity from the inside out.
As the Joonbyrd website remind us: ā96% of your skin is below your chinā so we must start treating it with the same love and care as we do the skin in our face.
And thatās what the brand is about - feeling good. Which is why I love it so much, and why it gives me goosebumps.
Donna š¤
šļø Hayley
The Revival of Luxury Retail: Burberry at Bloomingdaleās NYC
In the last few years, with the ease of shopping on sites like Amazon and the hardship retail faced following Covid, it felt as though the beauty of in-person shopping and in-store experiences had taken a backseat.
This holiday season, however, Iāve had multiple āpinch meā moments that gave me goosebumps: seeing the bustle return to the streets of NYC, the revival of the Saks Fifth Avenue light show, and the absolutely stunning Burberry takeover at Bloomingdaleās 59th Street. The iconic flagship store was wrapped - quite literally - in a Burberry bow.
As I walked inside, that same rush I felt as a little girl shopping came flooding back. (Mind you, the first āfancyā perfume I ever wore was Burberry Brit, so the nostalgia was very real.) The aisles were full of shoppers, music filled the space, and an entire concept shop had been created in the beauty hall as a Burberry capsuleādown to the branded carpetā with the theme of HappyTogether.
The holiday season always seems to slip away so quickly, and as I get older, I find myself focusing on the wrong things and letting stress take over. This experience was a reminder of how important it is to stop and smell the rosesāor in this case, the perfume. There truly is nothing quite like slowing down and taking the time to enjoy the world around us.
Cheers to the much needed revival of in person retail experiences!
Xoxo, Hayley & Bear
Have a great Christmas everyone š Lots of love from all of us!